Neya's Hair Combs
by Akimei the Twisted
Summary: It wasn't hard to figure out that Neya's hair combs meant a lot to her, but it's not like anyone would notice that she was missing them anyway, right? So why is that when the group gets stuck in an inn due to rain, Utsuho decides to give her something? (Set in the two month passing period of issue 9.) Utsuho x Neya
1. Shinuki Inn

**Okay, so I've recently joined the Itsuwaribito fandom and I have to say that Neya's crush on Utsuho is just way too cute (even if it lowers her coolness rating). There's really nothing much I could find in the way of fanfiction for them (wow, this fandom is tiny), so I wrote a little something to please myself.**

**Anyhow, this is set in the two month time-frame as they are heading to Ouna (issue 9). Enjoy :)**

**-0-**

It was a cloudy day as Utsuho and his friends made their way to Ouna. It had only been three days into their journey from Utsuho's home village, and already the travelers were already growing bored without something to occupy themselves.

"Hikae-san," Pochi looked at the previous guardian, "Can you tell us a story?"

Hikae's eyes brightened up, "Why of course, Pochi. Do you see that tree way over there? Long ago, when I first became a guardian, that tree was a person named Nadehiko. Nadehiko was a charming man who gave money to others and protected the weak, but it was all a facade to-"

Neya soon lost interest in the obviously fake story. She appreciated the effort Hikae was putting into entertaining them (mainly Pochi, she knew), but her mind was still haunted by the dreadful feeling of losing her precious hair combs. True, she didn't regret grabbing the sandal whatsoever, but that didn't stop her from missing the feeling of the special treasure in her hair.

It was just her luck that she would be clumsy enough to lose the one item that represented Utsuho's feelings for her, even if it was something clouded as the weather they were walking in. It was her only sign of hope, the thing that gave her the strength to continue liking him, to believe that she just might actually have a chance with him.

"Really?!" Pochi's amazed voice drew her attention away from her thoughts.

"Yeah!" Hikae smiled broadly, "But the princess was so furious that she summoned the rock creatures of the west, and-"

Neya sighed as she looked at the grey sky. It was going to rain soon. With any luck, they would find a village to take cover in before the worst came. The last thing they all needed was a bad cold. Perhaps she could find a new pair of hair combs there. Even if they weren't from Utsuho, she felt the need to have something in her hair if for nothing more than a habit.

"Then what?!"

"Then-" Hikae started before he was rudely interrupted by Utsuho.

"Then the giant water creatures beat the stone creatures, leaving behind a residue that turned Nadehiko and the princess into trees. The end."

"Wow!" Pochi squealed, "Great ending, Utsuho-san. Pochi didn't expect that."

"B-But Pochi," Hikae muttered sadly at the revelation that Pochi still liked Utsuho more than him, "It was my story."

Neya giggled softly at the group before speaking up, "Will we be near a village soon? It looks like it's going to rain."

Yakuma looked at her, "I believe there is one about-"

"Here!" Utsuho pointed at a village in the forest clearing, "You two really aren't that smart, are you?"

"Hey, who are you calling dumb?! I am a respected doctor, and don't interrupt me when I'm speaking to someone! You have the manners of a baboon, do you know that?! I-"

Yakuma was silenced by the thunder, followed by a light drizzle of rain.

"Whatever, let's just hurry up and find a place to take cover." Neya quickly ran ahead of the group into the village, ignoring the 'wow, she's fast's and 'hey, wait up's. It didn't take long for her to make it through the gate of the village, quietly scanning it to be sure it was a safe village unlike a few they had visited before.

With a sigh of relief, she found a villager to ask directions from, a young man about her age with short blonde locks of hair hidden by a hat.

"Excuse me," She walked up to him, "Do you know where my friends and I can take shelter from the rain and possibly stay the night?"

The boy smiled brightly, "My parents own the Shinuki Inn. I can take you and your friends there if you'd like?"

"Thank you," Neya returned his grin, "We've been traveling for days in this weather. I fear this storm might be a big one."

"Oh? Are you and your friends going somewhere special?" The boy said, making small talk with the girl.

"That's right!" Utsuho's voice came from behind her, "We're on our way to Ouna!"

"Ah, you caught up." Neya smiled as the group entered the village, "We've been invited to take shelter in the Shinuki Inn by Mr…."

"Danri." The blonde filled in for her, "Shinuki Danri, my friends call me Dan."

Neya nodded, "Danri-san offered us a place to sleep too, if we need it."

"Dan is fine, Miss…"

"Neya, Muito Neya." The girl smiled up at the boy.

"Can we just go? Pochi's getting cold." Utsuho grumbled as he hid the tanuki under the cloth of his jacket.

"Ah, yes." Danri smiled as he led them through the village, "How long will you be here?"

"Only until the storm stops." Yakuma adjusted his medicine chest, "We have to make it to Ouna as soon as possible."

Danri nodded, "The inn is just around the corner."

Neya smiled as she looked into the shops, now filling with people to take shelter from the rain. Her attention was especially drawn to a particular hair comb displayed in a window. It was beautiful at the least. It looked as if it was made specifically for her with a pinkish color that would complement her hair nicely, and an amazing floral design that must have taken days to make.

She would make sure to come to the shop later, she decided, once the storm was gone. Hopefully, it would still be there when she returned.


	2. Hospitality

"We're here." Danri led them into a small inn, "My parents aren't that rich, but we manage to keep it going for travelers."

"Thank you for this, Dan-san." Neya grinned at him as he led them into a small room. A woman came out from behind a sheet of red curtains.

"Welcome home, Dan-kun." She hugged the boy, "Are these your friends?"

"Yes, mom. Neya-chan and her friends need to take shelter from the rain."

The woman's smile widened, "Wonderful! I'll go make some food for everyone. Any special requests?"

"Dango!" Pochi crawled out from under coat.

"Okay, anything else?"

"Whatever you make will be fine, Miss Shinuki. We would be thankful for anything." Yakuma smiled respectfully at the woman.

"Okay," She smiled, "I'll bring lots of dango and other dishes down for you all. Make yourselves at home." With that, she walked back behind the curtains.

"So, Neya-chan, would you like to visit my younger siblings. They love to meet pretty girls."

"Of course!" Neya's eyes glistened at the thought of meeting more children, "I love children!"

"This way then." Danri took her hand and slowly guided her to one of the other hallways, "You all can come too, if you'd like."

"Nah," Utsuho took a seat on one of the mats on the floor, "I think I need to rest up for a bit. Don't you, Pochi?"

"Dango!" The young tanuki smiled as he crawled in front of Utsuho.

"Yeah, I could go for a break too." Haeki smiled as he joined his two friends.

"And you?" The boy looked at the doctor.

"Are any of them sick?"

"Well, no. They're both healthy, but I don't see why-"

"I have no need to see them then." Yakuma sat down and began fumbling through his medical supplies, "I have to go through my notes on a certain illness I need to cure."

Danri sighed as he took Neya further down the hall, "Suit yourselves."

-0-0-

"They've been in there for an hour." Utsuho grumbled as he absent-mindedly played with a loose string on his jacket, "What could they even be doing?"

"They're children." Yakuma looked up from his notes briefly, "You know how weak Neya is for kids. She'd stay in there for life if she could. Why would you care anyway? It's not like she got kidnapped on the way there."

"I wish she would have been." Hikae rolled over, "At least that wouldn't be as boring as just sitting here."

"Better than being stranded in the rain." Yakuma sighed, "We were lucky Neya was able to find someone who could shelter us."

"Psh, I could've done it too." Utsuho frowned, "You don't need a pretty face to find an inn."

"Pochi thinks Utsuho-san's face is pretty." Pochi patted a paw on Utsuho's leg.

"Thanks, Pochi."

"Pochi, what about me? Is my face pretty?" Hikae whined at the tanuki.

"No."

Utsuho laughed over the sounds of Hikae's cries.

"I've got the food prepared." Miss Shinuki came back through the curtains carrying several different foods in her arms and setting them down on a table, "I've made plenty more so eat up."

"I'll go tell Neya and Danri-san." Yakuma stood up and walked in the direction of the room.

Utsuho stood up, "Pochi, stay with Yakuma and Hikae for now. I need to go somewhere."

Pochi nodded and ate a bite of dango, "Come back soon, Utsuho-san."

Just before he walked out, Hikae's voice stopped him, "Where are you going anyway?"

"Just to a store." Utsuho smiled before dashing out into the rain.


	3. The Present

"Oh my, what a story!" Danri praised as he ate a bit of his curry, "Did you really manage to save him?"

Neya nodded, "Utsuho-san has a way with helping people in situations like that. I'm sure we helped change Tekka-san's life for the better."

Hikae sighed, tired of learning about all the cool stuff that Utsuho got to do before they had met. He glanced his eyes down at Pochi.

"Pochi, do you like that I'm in your family now?"

Pochi nodded eagerly, "Pochi like Hikae-san. Hikae-san is a good friend."

"Better than Utsuho?"

"No." Pochi took another bite out of his seventh dango. Hikae sobbed to himself as he too picked up another dango and began eating it.

"And then what happened, Neya-nee?" Danri's younger siblings' eager voices was music to Neya's ears.

"Well, I was in a pinch for sure, but I managed to get us out of there before we got hurt, though I did lose my favorite hair combs."

"Hair combs?" The little boy, Sazachi, asked, "Why would miss those? Did they cost money?"

"No, they weren't of any commercial value, but they meant a lot to me."

"Why?" The little girl, Risa, asked.

Neya's face shaded red, "Well, someone special gave them back to me when I had lost them before."

"Who?! " The children yelled loudly, "Who's so special to Neya-nee?"

"Well…" Neya trailed off. She didn't really want to talk about this out the open. Even if she had confessed, it was still embarrassing to talk about. Luckily, she door slid open to reveal a soaking wet Utsuho, distracting the group of people eating.

"Utsuho?! You're all wet! Why did you go out there?!"

Utsuho tossed her a bag in response, "Here. I went out to get something for Pochi, but then I couldn't find it, so I found something for you instead."

"Why would you get me anything in the rain? You'll catch a cold, you know?" Neya's face flushed as she opened the bag. She was shocked to see the hair comb she had been gazing at earlier.

"Eh? But how did you-"

"I noticed you lost your other ones, so I thought I would get you another one." Utsuho sat down at the table, stuffing his face with dango and telling Pochi hello.

Risa's face lit up, "Was Utsuho-san the one who got you the first ones too? Is that why you liked them so much?"

Neya laughed awkwardly, trying to dismiss the child's words, "Whatever do you mean?"

Utsuho looked up with a falsely confused expression, "Old ones? You mean these?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the precious items, "Here."

Neya accepted them with amazement, "But how did you-"

"I got bored so I looked for them before we left." Utsuho looked away from her, "You never asked for them back, so-"

"Well I didn't know you had them!" Neya shouted as she stood up, "I need to go put these in. Risa-chan, could you show me somewhere with a mirror?"

"Sure Neya-nee." The small girl stood up and guided Neya away from the tables.

Utsuho grinned as he wickedly thought to himself, _"Let's see her like Danri more than me now!"_

His evil chuckles were interrupted by the smirk of the doctor sitting across from him.

"What?" Utsuho tilted his head slightly.

"So tell me, how many times do you flirt Neya because your 'bored'?" He grinned.

That grin was wiped off his face, however, when a foot harshly met with his shin.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Just go dry off or something!"

**And that's just about it! I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to tell me what you thought (I tend to get things wrong sometimes.)**


End file.
